These summer confit tomatoes are slowly roasted over a low heat with garlic and rosemary. Tomato confit is the perfect way to use up an excess of summer tomatoes: simple, yet delicious way to serve summers bounty. Enhance any sandwich, pizza, soup, or pasta dish and make it next-level delicious!
To preserve some more of summer, try my quick pickled japaleño peppers or use up some abundant herbs with your own herbal vinegar.
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Ingredients
You'll need just four ingredients, but choose good tomatoes and olive oil, as it does make a real difference.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Cherry tomatoes: pear or small plum tomatoes will work too, but larger tomatoes (roma, beefsteak) aren't as good for this recipe.
- Good olive oil: the best oil to use here as it's flavourful and rich. The oil used is important so go for a good, or at least decent, olive oil with a nice strong flavour.
- Herbs: use any woody herb, like rosemary, thyme, or sage. Very soft herbs like basil won't work here.
Method
All you have to do is mix everything in an oven-safe dish and roast at low heat for about two hours. That's it!
Step 1: add all of the ingredients to a baking dish, no need to mix.
Step 2: roast for about two hours, until the tomatoes have collapsed, and cool before serving.
Top Tips
- Use it quickly: because there is no acid added, the tasty oil from the confit should be used within a week and kept in the fridge. Same goes for the tomatoes.
- Choose ripe tomatoes: slightly less sweet tomatoes can be used for this recipe, as roasting brings out that natural sweetness, but they should still be ripe.
- Don't worry about solidified oil: some olive oils will solidify when chilled, but it's no cause for concern. Simply take the confit out and let it come to room temperature again if needed.
How to Store
Storage: keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up a week. This spoils fairly quickly so don't plan on long-term storage unless freezing. Make sure the tomatoes are fully covered in oil for storage. If you see any signs of mould or discolouration, chuck it.
Freezing: freeze the tomatoes in oil in an airtight container for up to three months. The oil on its own can be frozen in ice cube trays and thawed to use in salad dressings and more.
How to Use Confit Tomatoes
- Serve on toast with sea salt and fresh basil
- Toss with pasta and a little pasta cooking water to make an easy sauce
- Serve with focaccia bread
- Crush to make a pizza sauce
- Serve on a grain bowl or pasta salad
- Use the left over garlic tomato oil in salad dressings or as a cooking oil
FAQ
What is the difference between tomato confit and sundried tomatoes?
Confit is roasted in the oven, and sundried tomatoes are, as suggested in the name, dried in the sun without oil (or at least they should be), and then packed with oil after the fact.
What to do with olive oil after confit?
If you have lots of oil left over after making a confit, simply save it to use in other dishes. Salads, for cooking, or anywhere you'd typically use olive oil – it just has more flavour this way.
Does confit oil go bad?
Yes, as it doesn't contain a typical preservative like salt, sugar, or acid. If properly stored it can last over a week, but it's best to freeze just in case.
More Summer Recipes
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Recipe
Confit Tomatoes
Equipment
- Measuring cups
- Baking dish
Ingredients
- 5 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 head garlic sliced in half
- 1 ½ cups olive oil
- few springs rosemary or thyme
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C).
- Add the tomatoes, oil, rosemary, and garlic to a baking dish.5 cups cherry tomatoes, 1 head garlic, 1 ½ cups olive oil, few springs rosemary or thyme
- Bake for 2-2½ hours, or until the tomatoes are wrinkled and soft.
- Let cool before serving. Store in a clean, sealed container in the fridge for up to a week or freeze up to three months.